Some news and notes to kick off what appears will be a very eventful weekend.

–We’ll have full, pick-by-pick coverage on this site of the Blackhawks’ draft selections this Sunday from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Chicago currently owns picks in the last pick in the 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th rounds.

Their 2nd and 3rd round selections were dealt to Winnipeg at the trade deadline in 2012 in exchange for Johnny Oduya. The Blackhawks also owned extra picks before dealing them for Michal Handzus (San Jose’s original pick in the 4th round reacquired from CHI) and Henrik Karlsson (originally Ottawa’s 7th round pick).

–If you missed the Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup parade and rally on Friday , it will be rebroadcasted tonight (Saturday) on Comcast SportsNet in Chicago at 7pm.

Interesting to note, yet not surprising considering he wasn’t a Calder finalist, that Nail Yakupov, who led all NHL rookies in scoring this season with 17 goals and 14 assists was left off the All-Rookie team. That doesn’t happen often. Read more »

After watching an hour of the post-game show after the Hawks scintillating Game Five triumph, I was fortunate enough to hear the Thin Lizzy song, Fighting My Way Back on the way home. I had no choice but to crank it up a notch, or three. It seemed to be a good description of the battle that took place at the United Center. Battered and bruised, torn and frayed –“fighting” for the Cup – quite simply, there is no other way. Read more »

Over the course of this 60 minute podcast, Al and I outline the turning points and pivotal factors in the Blackhawks playoff run, climaxing with Monday night’s clinching Game 6 victory in Boston. We also look at the toll some player’s endured in the battle for Lord Stanley’s chalice and how much is too much; compliance buyouts, offer sheets, what awaits Bryan Bickell, what’s next for Stan Bowman and Joel Quenneville’s team, who won’t be back and some names that could also be on the move.

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–Special Thanks to Molson Canadian, the Official Imported Beer of the NHL..

The Chicago Blackhawks answered the Call of the Cup, have you?

If not, there’s still time to participate in Molson Canadian beer’s Call of the Cup.

For a limited time, Molson’s Call of the Cup bottle series will be available throughout the Chicagoland area as in markets across the United States.

Molson Canadian recognizes that every decision a coach makes in the Playoffs can mean the difference between skating to glory and skating into the off season.

When you pick up Molson Canadian bottles now in the U.S., you can participate in The Call of the Cup series, which allows hockey fans to play the role of the coach and make the tough calls from their smart phones, or just debate the questions and scenarios on the back of the bottle labels between friends.

Which special teams unit is more important in the playoffs? Make trades or stand pat at the trade deadline? Be a part and help a team win its first Stanley Cup or help a team break a long championship drought? Answer these questions and debate more scenarios in The Call of the Cup series from Molson Canadian beer.

For more information check Molson Canadian out and Like them on Facebook at:

PuckChatter~Radio will return next week (either Monday or Wednesday) to review the Blackhawks at this Sunday’s NHL draft in Newark, New Jersey, the moves Stan Bowman and company make there as well as preview free agency opening on July 5th.

The Chicago Blackhawks strolled into Boston on Monday night with Lord Stanley on standby. Those players who were members of the 2010 Hawks Stanley Cup championship team rallied the troops who have previously never been on the cusp of grasping the Cup.

Although Jonathan Toews was sat for all of the third period in game 5, he was declared 100% and ready to go on the morning of game 6. In the other dressing room, Patrice Bergeron also left game 5 with an unknown injury. He was dressed and ready to play in Monday’s match. All of those Corey Crawford critics seemed to disappear after game 5, where he nearly posted a shutout. It was time for the Hawks to end the series and the season and raise the Stanley Cup. Read more »

On Sunday evening, I was the guest on HockeeNight.com’s PuckCast to talk the Blackhawks-Bruins Stanley Cup Final series and preview Game 6 tonight in Boston.

We also jumped ahead to look at some possible moves the Blackhawks could be making this off season, which begins with the NHL Entry Draft this Sunday, June 30th in New Jersey. We also talked a little pro wrestling (of course), “upper and lower body” injuries, debated if this is becoming the golden age of Chicago Blackhawks hockey and opened a pack of hockey cards crammed with former Chicago Blackhawks.

[Editor’s note: Rich submitted this piece prior to Game 5 on Saturday, but for a variety of reasons, it could not be posted until now. So, while reading, keep in mind that it was written as a lead-in to the Hawks 3-1 win over the Bruins on Saturday night.]

“Paddy wrote a letter to his Irish Molly O saying,

“Should you not receive it,”
Write and let me know!

It’s a long way to Tipperary,
It’s a long way to go,
It’s a long way to Tipperary,
To the sweetest girl I know.” – Jack Judge

By Rich Lindbloom

It’s also a long, long way to Michigan City – more on that later – suffice it to say it could be the difference between hoisting the Cup or swinging golf club.

Really, nothing more needs to be said about Game Four than Forklift’s concise description “Six biscuits in the basket.” I believe the over/under bet was shattered on Wednesday by the combined efforts of Bruins, the Hawks and of course, the curiouser and curiouser calls of the referee’s who I’m pretty sure would feel quite at home in Wonderland. While on the topic of betting, in a way I was hoping the Hawks lost last night. Then, the following story would have had an even greater salubrious effect on what might have appeared to be a hopeless situation had we gone down 1-3 to the bombastic B’s. It’s the true tale of a former boss, Bill, and a bloke named Tom from Tipperary. It involves never giving up no matter how insurmountable the odds, making crazy wagers while dangling the dinghy and consuming to much aqua vitae. In Wild (snap hook) Bill’s words: Read more »

The Chicago Blackhawks got a pair of goals from Patrick Kane and held on in a tight Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final against Boston Saturday night. Chicago prevailed 3-1 with captain Jonathan Toews observing from the bench for the entire third period.

The Blackhawks take a 3-2 series lead, building a two-goal advantage and getting a big bounce back effort from Corey Crawford. The Chicago goalie made 24 saves to help nail down the win.

The action was back and forth in the first 20 minutes. Boston outshot the ‘Hawks 11-8 but Chicago was solid defensively and created a lot of turnovers despite taking some big hits. Read more »